Textbook & solutions manual. Everyone should buy these books. I believe both are available in several formats: print (new and used) and electronic (the e-book can also be purchased as a ‘ bundle’ with the Sapling online homework at a discount). The folks in the Bookstore can help you locate the version you want.

I can’t tell you which option will work best for you. The e-book is considerably lighter than the paper version, but will expire. Chemistry majors might want something more lasting.

While I think everyone should own a personal copy of the textbook, it may be possible to make satisfactory arrangements for sharing a copy of the solutions manual. But make no mistake: serious study requires doing lots of problems found in the textbook and then checking your answers against those in the solutions manual. You need access to both books.

Sapling online homework. Online homework will be assigned and graded regularly throughout the semester. We are using the Sapling Learning system which requires a modest purchase. A number of purchasing options are available: standalone, bundle with e-book, semester-by-semester or the entire academic year. (get started here)

While there are obvious advantages to online homework – do it when and where you want, as often as you want, receive hints and instant feedback – it may not be a perfect replacement for traditional homework. I see two problems with online homework:

First, the online problems are of easy-medium difficulty. They won’t challenge you enough. And they don’t cover all the topics in the book.

Second, the online problems are heavily weighted towards little widgets that keep you from getting practice at making drawings (you can sabotage Sapling by drawing all of your answers on paper, even multiple-choice answers, before you enter them into Sapling).

Drawings are vital. Recent research shows that drawing creates special neural pathways, i.e., you “learn” differently (and better) when you draw. Also, exams require drawing. You need to learn to make easy-to-read drawings efficiently, and without errors.

So don’t rely solely on online problems. Do the textbook problems (especially the more difficult ones). And practice drawing.

Clickers (response cards). These are the same devices you used in Chem 101-102. If you need a new clicker, or need to replace the battery in your old one, go to the Bookstore.

We will use clickers every day starting on Day #1. Clicker responses will be graded. Bring your clicker to every class.